Systems and methods for brain imaging and stimulation using super-resolution ultrasound

Abstract

A system includes ultrasound transducers configured to generate and direct ultrasound beams at a region within a portion of a subject's brain, sensors configured to measure a response from the portion of the subject's brain in response to one or more ultrasound beams, and an electronic controller in communication with the ultrasound transducers configured to generate, based on a measured response from the portion of the subject's brain in response to two or more ultrasound beams generated from two or more different angles, a model of the portion of the subject's brain, wherein the model has a higher resolution than a maximum resolution of a single ultrasound beam, and generate, based on the model of the portion of the subject's brain, stimulation parameters for the ultrasound transducers to generate and direct a stimulation ultrasound beam at the region within the portion of the subject's brain.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A transcranial ultrasonic stimulation system, comprising:
 one or more ultrasound transducers configured to generate and direct ultrasound beams at a region within a portion of a subject's brain;   one or more sensors configured to measure a response from the portion of the subject's brain in response to one or more ultrasound beams; and   an electronic controller in communication with the one or more ultrasound transducers configured to:
 generate, based on a measured response from the portion of the subject's brain in response to two or more ultrasound beams generated from two or more different angles, a model of the portion of the subject's brain, wherein the model has a higher resolution than a maximum resolution of a single ultrasound beam; and 
 generate, based on the model of the portion of the subject's brain, a stimulation parameter for the one or more ultrasound transducers to generate and direct a stimulation ultrasound beam at the region within the portion of the subject's brain. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller is further configured to:
 dynamically adjust, based on a measured response from the portion of the subject's brain in response to the stimulation ultrasound beam, the stimulation parameter for the one or more ultrasound transducers to generate and direct a second stimulation ultrasound beam at the region within a portion of the subject's brain.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein dynamically adjusting the stimulation parameter is performed based on the subject's verbal feedback. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein dynamically adjusting a set of stimulation parameters comprises using machine learning techniques to generate one or more adjusted stimulation parameters. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more transducers for generating magnetic fields within the subject's brain and one or more transducers for generating electric fields within the subject's brain. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more sensors are further configured to measure a response from the portion of the subject's brain in response to one or more magnetic fields and one or more electric fields within the subject's brain; and
 wherein the electronic controller is further configured to:   modify, based on the measured response from the portion of the subject's brain in response to the one or more magnetic fields and one or more electric fields, the model of the portion of the subject's brain to generate a modified model.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the electronic controller is further configured to dynamically adjust, based on the modified model, one or more stimulation parameters for the one or more ultrasound transducers. 
     
     
         8 . A method, comprising:
 generating, by one or more ultrasound transducers, ultrasound beams directed at a region within a portion of a subject's brain;   measuring, by one or more sensors and in response to one or more ultrasound beams, a response from the portion of the subject's brain,   generating, by an electronic controller in communication with the one or more ultrasound transducers and based on a measured response from the portion of the subject's brain in response to two or more ultrasound beams generated from two or more different angles, a model of the portion of the subject's brain, wherein the model has a higher resolution than a maximum resolution of a single ultrasound beam;   generating, by the electronic controller and based on the model of the portion of the subject's brain, a stimulation parameter for the one or more ultrasound transducers to generate and direct a stimulation ultrasound beam at the region within the portion of the subject's brain.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 dynamically adjust, based on a measured response from the portion of the subject's brain in response to the stimulation ultrasound beam, the stimulation parameter for the one or more ultrasound transducers to generate and direct a second stimulation ultrasound beam at the region within a portion of the subject's brain.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein dynamically adjusting the stimulation parameter is performed based on the subject's verbal feedback. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein dynamically adjusting a set of stimulation parameters comprises using machine learning techniques to generate one or more adjusted stimulation parameters. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 generating, by one or more magnetic transducers, magnetic fields within the subject's brain; and   generating, by one or more electrical transducers, electric fields within the subject's brain.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 measuring, by the one or more sensors, a response from the portion of the subject's brain in response to one or more magnetic fields and one or more electric fields within the subject's brain; and   modifying, by the electronic controller and based on the measured response from the portion of the subject's brain in response to the one or more magnetic fields and one or more electric fields, the model of the portion of the subject's brain to generate a modified model.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 dynamically adjusting, by the electronic controller and based on the modified model, one or more stimulation parameters for the one or more ultrasound transducers.   
     
     
         15 . A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 generating, by one or more ultrasound transducers, ultrasound beams directed at a region within a portion of a subject's brain;   measuring, by one or more sensors and in response to one or more ultrasound beams, a response from the portion of the subject's brain,   generating, by an electronic controller in communication with the one or more ultrasound transducers and based on a measured response from the portion of the subject's brain in response to two or more ultrasound beams generated from two or more different angles, a model of the portion of the subject's brain, wherein the model has a higher resolution than a maximum resolution of a single ultrasound beam;   generating, by the electronic controller and based on the model of the portion of the subject's brain, a stimulation parameter for the one or more ultrasound transducers to generate and direct a stimulation ultrasound beam at the region within the portion of the subject's brain.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 dynamically adjust, based on a measured response from the portion of the subject's brain in response to the stimulation ultrasound beam, the stimulation parameter for the one or more ultrasound transducers to generate and direct a second stimulation ultrasound beam at the region within a portion of the subject's brain.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 16 , wherein dynamically adjusting the stimulation parameter is performed based on the subject's verbal feedback. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 16 , wherein dynamically adjusting a set of stimulation parameters comprises using machine learning techniques to generate one or more adjusted stimulation parameters. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 generating, by one or more magnetic transducers, magnetic fields within the subject's brain; and   generating, by one or more electrical transducers, electric fields within the subject's brain.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 12 , the operations further comprising:
 measuring, by the one or more sensors, a response from the portion of the subject's brain in response to one or more magnetic fields and one or more electric fields within the subject's brain; and   modifying, by the electronic controller and based on the measured response from the portion of the subject's brain in response to the one or more magnetic fields and one or more electric fields, the model of the portion of the subject's brain to generate a modified model.